Eve's Diary: 4/17/11

Friday, April 22, 2011

Love being a girl

As much as I love shoes, bags and dresses, my deepest appreciation will always belong to the world of beauty. There is something absolutely magical about the little bottles, jars and boxes - their shape, their contect, the texture and the scent and, most importantly, their effect on the state of mind and soul - that makes me long for more, no matter how full my beauty drawer is. However, in pursuit of financial and spacial efficiency, I recently came to the conclusion that the range of my beauty SKU's can be simplified.So currently, I am boycotting the sephoras and the douglases of this world and using up the stuff that I have and only acquiring the products that have proven to be THE ONES.
Here's a list of the truly and sincerely best investments you can ever make in YOUR beauty. Enjoy the return on investment.

Bobby Brown's Brow Shaper -
fabulous!

Bobbi Brown's bronzer -
I can NOT live without a bronzer!

Bath milk with an incredible scent of almond
and coconut - TO DIE FOR.

I've tried sooo many shampoos...Cheap and expensive;
niche brands and mass market. I keep coming back to this
classic. Never change the winning team.

Essie...well, no explanation necessary.

More essie.

I love the concept, love the packaging,
love the scent.
At last, it's truly Parisian.
Need I say more?!

Nars offers a palette of sheer lipsticks
that match your natural lipcolor and
moisturize it. Can't stop using this one.

Kanebo Sensai is truly my
discovery of the year.
This exfoliator is A WONDER. I mean it.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Polka dot

Usually, I am not a fan of patterns. I love simple textures and colors with elegant and feminine finesse.

There is one pattern, however, that I find utterly irresistible - polka dot!

This season, I found multiple unique exemplars that made me dream of long strolls along la Promenade des Anglais wearing ...this playful Sonia Rykiel dress..or the bikini from Anthrologie's collection à la 1950s. Here are a couple more:

Sonia Rykiel

http://www.soniarykiel.com/

http://www.anthropologie.com/

http://www.hanselfrombasel.com/

http://www.anthropologie.com/

found online

http://www.zara.com/

J Crew

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Le bridal shoe

Bridal theme is a central one in my life, currently. I commit to objectivity and fairness and promise to treat other fascinating topics soon ( I still have to publish the list of my cosmetics products of the year!), but once in a while, at least in the upcoming 2-3 months, you will hear about the accessories and decoration ideas I come across while preparing for my own big day. Today’s subject – the absolutely under-appreciated, under-treated, under-stated and under-presented – le bridal shoe. Ordinarily hidden under the long skirt of the bridal gown, it is often neglected and most commonly overruled by hair accessories, jewelry and floral accompaniments.

Evidence suggests, however, that the bridal shoe can represent a hidden talent of the outfit, perfectly matching with elements of the color concept of the wedding party. The bridal shoe can serve a perfect complement of the bride’s bouquet; it can restate the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses or match with the groom’s tie. Above all, the bridal shoe need not be white – fuchsia, blue and green can be a refreshing and surprising alternative! Imagine getting an improvised glimpse of a bright shoe from a perfectly classic wedding gown! Aaaahhh..

Here a collection of the ones I have found lately. Maybe an inspiration for one of the ladies?

Pretty ballerinas

Bhldn

Manolo Blahnik

Valentino

Manolo Blahnik

Salvatore Ferragamo

Giuseppe Zanotti

Vera Wang

Beautiful three-bowed ballerinas from http://www.prettyballerinas.com/

Guiseppe Zanotti

Lanvin

http://www.jcrew.com/

Valentino, found on http://www.netaporter.com/

Monday, April 18, 2011

Easter with The Grandes Patisseries

Although working in the chocolate business, I am rather a tarte/gâteaux/pie-kinda-gal. I love them all - in all forms, textures, flavors and colors; sweet, sour and bitter, huge and tiny, simple and with a little twist. No matter how satiable a dinner might have been - there is always a little space especially - and with a lot of love - reserved for these sinnful yet sweet moments that I indulge myself into, on a regular basis!
On Easter though, there is something about the way the "grandest" of the patisseries of the world present their creations that makes me deviate from my habit and turn into an appreciator of le chocolat. Maybe it's about the form, after all?

What are your favorite ones? Please share!

Divine selections displayed are (in chronological order): Ladurée, Leysiffer, La Maison du Chocolat and Pierre Hermé.

Literary inspiration

I love driving back home from work and being excited about having a fascinating book that's waiting patiently for me on my night table. Lately, I have been reading a lot of Bernhard Schlink. Having gained much appraisal for his famous "The Reader", he is among his other works also author of two brilliant collections of short stories. After "Liebesfluchten", the latest one is called "Summer lies" or "Sommerlügen" in original German and is a compilation of seven incredibly moving short stories about reality and illusion; past and present; relentless hope and love given up a long time ago. A perfect piece of reading for a rainy evening at home. With a cup of this: